Liverpool continued their spectacular run at the top of the Premier League table by dominating Manchester City at Anfield yesterday.
The Merseyside heavyweights were favourites for the encounter due to City’s winning streak (6 games). They capitalised on their momentum with a resounding win in front of their supporters.
Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah scored the goals for Liverpool, but the margin of victory could have been wider. City were barely an attacking force with just 2 shots on target over 90 minutes.
Virgil van Dijk was phenomenal in the central defensive department for the Reds and he was complemented impressively by Joe Gomez, who replaced the injured Ibrahima Konate yesterday.
The Englishman made his 1st league start of the season. He won 100% of his duels against Man City, as per Fotmob statistics. He also made 7 ball recoveries while completing 88% of his passes.
Gomez shared his delight after the win with an Instagram post with the caption: “Top team performance“. Captain van Dijk responded to the social media post with a black heart emoji.
Stepped up
Gomez’s future with Liverpool was frequently questioned during the summer transfer window. The Reds discussed about selling him to Newcastle United in a swap deal for Anthony Gordon at one point.
A deal did not materialise for the club in the end. Gordon has since signed a new long-term contract with the Magpies, but Liverpool could return for him when the current campaign comes to a close.
Meanwhile, Gomez has not had much playing time under manager Arne Slot. He has become a fringe player for the Premier League and Champions League games due to the Konate-Van Dijk partnership.
Konate is out for the next few weeks after sustaining a knee surgery. This could be a good thing for Gomez, who has the chance to stand out with his performances and become a regular starter for Slot.
Jarell Quansah is also waiting on the wings for a starting role. Gomez needs to keep on performing at the same level as yesterday in order to cement his starting position alongside Van Dijk in the short term.
